Contradictions
by CuriousityKilledTheCatfish
Summary: Rated T for language. SLOW BURN. It was two weeks now since Hardy left Broadchurch. By some miracle, Ellie Miller's life did what her therapist always said it would, and it fell back into routine. The only thing missing seems to be one person in particular...
1. Chapter One

**A/N: I have never written a story with this many words. Usually I struggle to scrape 1000, but this story just came pouring out of me and it's a pretty awesome feeling. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Published: 19 April 2016**

* * *

- **CONTRIDICTIONS** -

…Chapter One...

It was two weeks now since Hardy left Broadchurch. _Since Joe got banished from Broadchurch_ , she corrected herself. By some miracle, her life did what her therapist always said it would, and it fell back into routine.

Fred was starting nursery school early thanks to his ability to be fully potty trained at three. It was a melancholic moment for Ellie to see her little Fredkins running onto the playground and leave her behind that first day. Fred was the youngest in his class, but the tallest by far. He had inherited the same tall legs from his grandfather like Tom.

On Fred's first day; Tom accompanied Ellie to the same nursery he had gone to. Ellie will never forget the image of Fred and his little fists clenched to a packed lunch, big blue eyes staring up at her. Tom gave his brother a high five and ruffled his mop of hair. Then, Fred stumbled up to Ellie and hugged her legs.

"Goodbye Mummy." he said.

Tom rolled his eyes when she teared up, but she couldn't help it. Her little baby had now become a little boy.

Ellie felt bittersweet for the rest of that day. Yes, she was proud of her son, but all along she felt a little guilty. Fred was growing up without a father, and that made Ellie wonder about a whole lot of things. She sighed when the memory of Joe and seven-year-old Tom busy skateboarding popped into her head. She knew it senseless, because Fred didn't remember Joe. He would grow up perfectly fine without a father - millions of kids before him have…

Yet, Ellie felt dejected. Just one year ago she was in Joe's arms, and they were a team dedicated to raising two sons. Just one year ago she fell asleep every night with her head pressed to his chest. Together they'd promise to try for one more child after Fred got off his feet. Another little boy, he'd say, and she would snuggle up close to him and then he'd kiss her temple.

All those memories felt so long ago. All of the were now spoilt. All those promises she thought were cast in stone, ended after three simple words.

Ellie didn't pretend to be the woman she was before Danny's death. She accepted that the tragedy had hardened her, and Tom too. She was just relieved that her anger had finally gone. As soon as she shut that cab door closed, she felt in charge. And as soon as Joe got banished from Broadchurch, _her Broadchurch_ , she was not angry anymore. She didn't want Joe gone, she didn't want him dead either, she just wanted him forgotten. Now she finally say the good times she and Joe had were finally a thing of at the past. Distant memories that were still a part of her. A good chapter in her book with a bitter ending.

x

At the best of times, Alec Hardy can be an idiot.

He was sitting on a park bench, looking like the world had literally placed all it's weight on his back. His bony legs were stretched out in front of him, the bags under his eyes, a shade of violent purple. Hardy's long fingers pecked aimlessly at a packet of chips. His gaze remained fixed on one person.

How Daisy had grown. The last time he saw her walking around in this park, she must have been ten or eleven, running around with the other children. Her hair was short then. He could still remember her bulky blue shirt that with the acrylic splats on because - _oh, how Daisy always loved painting_. Now she was sixteen and had skinny jeans and a stylish top on. When did she start caring about clothes? Headphones and a beanie covered her hair. She lay down flat in the grass, staring at the shedding treetops.

He wondered what she may be listening to. A book perhaps. Music. _What kind of music would Daisy listen to?_ Maybe she wasn't listening to anything. Maybe she was using the headphones as a way to block out the rest of the world. At least he used to do that.

The truth was that he didn't know his daughter anymore. It was three years since they had a decent conversation, that didn't involve the painful "How's school." or "How are you doing, darlin'?"

Hardy felt pathetic sitting there and observing her. Hardy felt pretty pathetic about pretty much everything now days. He always imagined the moment he solved the Sandbrook case to be this emotionally stimulating, liberating sentiment. He imagined walking out the police station smiling. Instead he felt (if it was even possible) more empty than before.

When he got out of surgery he felt angry, but alive. He felt like he had this reborn sense of purpose when he walked out that hospital. He felt like he could fly. The moment he walked out the police station and sat on the bench with Miller, he felt defeated. The feeling got worse when he left Broadchurch, and when he finally got onto the train, he felt like utter shite.

"Where to then, sir?"

"Train station." he said, eyes fixed on the horizon, darting to the cliffs. _Those bloody orange cliffs_.

"You sure, mate?" the cab driver asked hesitantly.

He told the driver to get a bloody move on. Once at the train station, he didn't turn back in the direction of sea again. He ignored the salty breeze and the lazy blue sky above him.

He had no more purpose in this town. None whatsoever. He had done his penance, solved Sandbrook and reclaimed his health. He came to this godforsaken town thinking he would die there, but instead it made him live. But now it was over.

Sandbrook was only place he could think of going. In his life there had only really been three places - Glasgow, Sandbrook and _Broadchurch_. Although he tried not to, all along the route back he thought of Miller. He thought of their handshake, her promise of "We're not all alone." and her oversized orange raincoat. He wandered what he was going to do day to day if he could meet Miller for coffee to discuss the their recent Sandbrook theories. His afternoon walks are going to be so empty without Fred. Who else was going to nag him on about little sleep he was getting? Who else is going to be nosy about his relationship with Tess? What about her morning coffee flasks and her silent tear in the hotel room?

Hardy's lip curled up in the train. She was the only person he'd miss in Broadchurch.

But Sandbrook it is. He was going back to _his_ town. He was going _home_ to Daisy and Tess. Back to his old life. All along the trip, the back of his mind told him to turn around. He knew the truth then, but didn't admit it. There was no old life to get back to in Sandbrook. Things were over with Tess. His life could not go back to what it was.

But there was nothing in Broadchurch left for him either. Miller didn't want this in Broadchurch. Ho one in that town ever wanted in there. When he was halfway to Sandbrook he disembarked the train and stood on the platform for a few minutes. _Now you're really being stupid._ After all, he did tell Miller he was going to get closer to his daughter, and that started by getting geographically closer to her.

And so he was closer to her, but not ever close to getting _closer_ to her. Hardy sat on a park bench in the heart of the city, stuffing a cold chip into his mouth. He sighed. _Chips_. A reminder of Broadchurch. A reminder of Miller.

 _Shit,_ he cursed mentally.

He was so caught up feeling sorry for himself, that he didn't notice Daisy had gotten up. She pulled out her phone from her back jean pocket and held it to her ear. As it was ringing, she started walking in his direction.

Hardy hadn't noticed how empty the park had gotten. Two minutes ago he could have easily slotted in behind some walkers and disappeared, but now there was nothing obstructing Hardy from Daisy's sight.

As Hardy turned around and tried to hide behind some bushes, she spotted him. Confusion trailed down her face until she stared at him, frowning lightly so that he could see little creases on her forehead.

 _Shit._

If only Miller was here to give him a good bollocking, then he wouldn't be in this bloody park, stalking his own daughter.

 _Shitshitshitshit. Only idiots stalk their daughters._

"Dad?" she shouted. When he didn't reply, she stormed up to him and looked at him with discouragement.

"Hello Darlin'." Hardy said, half-smiling in embarrassment.

"What the hell, dad?"

x

Ellie got offered a promotion at the police station to a DS again. Even though the offer was overly generous from Jenkinson's side, she still could not help but feel a little degraded watching the new DI in his office. It was hard to not help but wander what it would be like if she was there behind at desk. Just imagining herself behind those glass windows seemed obscure. Danny's case proved that she was not emotionally ready for the job. Ellie needed time and that extra guidance from Hardy. She still wasn't there.

 _The new DI is nothing like Hardy_ , she found herself comparing when he first walked through the door. His name was Joshua Brown, but he preferred it if you called him Josh. He called her Ellie, and sometimes joked around with names as casual as El.

The others at the station really liked Josh. He was the kind of guy you'd ask to make a speech at your wedding because he was that good at talking, and making other people feel good about themselves. Josh greeted her in the mornings, occasionally paid for her cappuccinos and even told her about his tour to Italy last year.

He was _nice_ , yes, but Ellie wondered if he earned the same respect from them as Hardy did from her.

One day wafter work when they closed a case on a local drug dealer, Josh offered to buy everyone drinks. Desperate for a night off, Ellie dropped the kids off at Beth's, and set off for a night of pints and dancing with Bob Daniels.

She felt more alive than she had in a while as Bob twirled her in the neon lights. The alcohol had peeled off layer upon layer of her stress. She felt herself smiling dimples at Josh's cheesy jokes. Ellie ordered herself another drink, and when she returned the others were collectively complaining.

"Thank fuck that he left, you're ten millions times better than that knob, Josh."

"Yeah, Josh, seriously, the guy was an idiot. Couldn't talk to a streetlamp. Shitface we used to call him."

"Shitface?" Josh asked with amusement.

"That was his nickname. 'Cause that beard looked like utter shit-"

The crowd of detectives giggled in drunken bliss.

"Hey, El's back! Did you get me a Gin too?"

"Yeah." she heard herself saying, smiling but not entirely feeling it.

Ellie regretted not clearing Hardy's name that night. Yes he was defiantly a knob. A outright stubborn, sometimes infuriating streak of a human being, but he did have a heart. And Hardy did care. He cared more than most, but more importantly, he was there for her when no one else was.

And yes, she still had the picture of Hardy slouching in his chair in her mind. She could see his flappy hair flap over his forehead. The only thing visible from under his spectacles being his big nose. The only thing proving he wasn't dead was the occasional grunt.

Since Joe's banishment, Tom was doing much better. Still a little broken, of course, but better. Paul Coats had signed him up for some online programming course, and he was busy. Always sitting on the sofa, half-attacking his Mac with his fingers. Tom might be busy, but that didn't mean he was happy. Tom still didn't smile half as much as he used to. He never voluntarily talked to her, and he hardly ever left the house. Ellie was doubtful that he never would ever smile as much as he did, and she was sure his depression wast going to end any time soon. But at least he was busy. At least he had purpose.

Staying busy was one of the things Ellie's therapist recommended for recovering after the case. She said finding a hobby could help you recover faster and connect with new people that wasn't part of the Joe scandal.

Ellie nearly laughed out loud when the woman suggested she should find one of those adult colouring-in books, and she actually did laugh when she suggested cooking. Ellie had never been good at cooking. That was always Joe's turf, and now Tom had made it his. The good news was that Ellie didn't need to go find a hobby. Instead, Hardy made her work on the Sandbrook case. At the time she was pissed because it made her feel like she was, once again, working for Alec Hardy. She only afterwards realised how much good it did for her. Working on Sandbrook gave her purpose again. Ellie hoped this coding thing would do the same for Tom.

If there was one reason Alec Hardy bombarded himself into her life, it was to teach her to put one foot in front of the other. I needn't matter if were so weak you couldn't walk. You could be trudging, swimming through rivers, you just have to keep on moving forward.

x

Hardy had felt like an intruder in his own house plenty of times throughout him and Tess's marriage, but never more that he now. He felt like he needed permission to make a cup of tea. He even had to ask where the bathroom was, because Tess had changed everything.

All the old photo frames of the three of them as a family had been replaced by ones featuring Daisy only, or only Tess, or Tess's sisters. Hardy wondered why all women had to repaint the house as soon as their husbands left. Miller had done that, but she made her house look better. She also had reason to. Joe was a murderer. Ellie had the right to start over.

Tess, on the other hand, was trying to create herself a new identity. She was covering up her life as if Hardy had never been apart of it. She painted all the walls white. Not white, but sterile, come-back-from-the-dead, hospital bed white. The fridge that used to be covered in Daisy's paintings and magnets Tess collected when they toured South America were all gone. When he had the chance, he peaked into their old bedroom and found a new mattress, bedside tables and redone wooden floors. The part that touched Hardy the most was that Tess had knocked out the walls of was his old study. His study, where he kept his books and his music and his stuff. The one part of the house that was his place had now been covered to a guest room and bathroom.

 _What was it with Tess?_ Hardy felt like he was some parasite she had to get rid of. There were no memories, reminders or traces of him even visible in this house, and as much as Hardy denied it to himself, it hurt. A lot.

Daisy had bought him home from the park about three days ago. Not to Tess's agreement, Hardy was sleeping in the guest room. He picked up Daisy from school every day and, much to Tess's rebellion, he cooked dinner each night.

Although he had the feeling that neither woman wanted him back in the house, he was staying as long as he could before Tess kicked him out. Again.

Daisy remained retreated in her room until Tess corned Hardy one day.

"When do you plan on leaving?" she asked in her most artificial friendly voice.

"Tess, I am going to stay here for as long as I can. I want to-"

"Yeah. I'd love you to come and invade my house and mess up Daisy's routine-"

"Your house?" Hardy asked, taken aback.

Tess's eyes narrowed. "Why did you leave Broadchurch?"

"I wanted to get closer to Daisy."

"Yes, okay, fine, but may I remind you this is my house now. It might still look like your house, but it's mine."

"It doesn't look anything like our house." Hardy snapped back. "You redid everything."

"And that's a bad thing, now is it?" Tess burst out. "I just wanted a new start-"

"You can't change what happened!"

Their eyes met, and he felt nothing but warning signs go up. It was like they were reenacting the years before they got divorced. Tess's gaze dropped and Hardy looked at his hands.

"What are we doing." he asked.

Tess sank into a chair and Hardy leaned against a sterile wall.

"There is still some of your old stuff under the stairs." She said calmly.

"In boxes?"

She nodded. "I thought you and Daisy might like to go through them."

"Thank you." Hardy said, and he meant it. Tess wasn't exactly known for being kind, so when she did do something thoughtful, you had to be grateful.

"I will stay until I went through the last box. Then I will leave." Hardy promised.

She nodded and Alec made his way to the guest room again. On the way, he spotted Daisy sitting on the staircase, obviously still busy eavesdropping on their conversation. She gave him a small smile, and then shuffled back to her room.

x

Sending her last email to Josh for the weekend, Ellie shut her laptop closed and went downstairs. On the couch was her two children. Tom was busy with his programming, and Fred was watching that episode of Shaun the Sheep where the goat eats everything on the farm for the sixth time.

"Lunch, boys?"

"No thanks, mum. We just had sandwiches."

"Lunch!" Fred held up a discarded plate and some crumbs rolled onto the carpet.

"Oh. I wanted to eat something at the pier. Why didn't you call me?"

"You were busy working." Tom said, "I know how that new guy keeps you busy."

Busy was an understatement, Ellie thought. She had the keep up with her workload, and half of Josh's as well.

"Well I'm going to the pier anyway. Do you want to come with? Fred?"

He looked at her with big eyes.

"Do you rather want to watch Shaun, hey, lazy boy?"

Fred smiled and turned his head back to the screen.

"I guess that's that then. You fine with looking after your brother, Tom?"

"Well it's not as if he's doing much."

"Right, I'll see you two in a bit. Behave!" she shouted when she left the house.

Her mind was on Josh. He wasn't exactly the best detective, and he used Ellie more like a secretary than a DS. She was forever watching CCTV evidence for him, answering mail on his behalf, and she was sick of it. She will have to go to Jenkinson on Monday, because otherwise she'll never have free time again.

Hardy would never have done that. He never did. With him it was always overlooking and making everyone else look unprofessional. She smiled at that. Hardy was the kind that would forget to sleep because of work.

But where the hell was he anyway? It had been two months since he left. _Two whole months_ without a text message, phone call - nothing.

Was he working? Was he in Sandbrook? Ellie seriously doubted he would be in Sandbrook working. He and Tess can't stand each other in plain conversation, so how they react on a case. Ellie shook her head.

She and Alec Hardy were a much, _much_ better team than her and Joshua Brown. When she and Hardy stopped bickering and fell into sink, they are like a case-solving machine. To think that together they solved Sandbrook in five weeks, which Hardy alone couldn't solve in two years. She and Hardy were opposites that just balanced out. It made her wonder what other great cases they could have been doing together.

She sighed. _Alec Hardy_. It was hardly him that she missed anyway - she missed the company he gave. She missed the presence of another human being by her side. If you spend every moment's free time with a person and they disappeared one day, of course you'd miss them. If the waves stopped crashing, colliding, _kissing_ down on the shore, of course the sand would miss the water.

And it was not as if was not as if she was never going to see him again. She would probably have to show her face in court once the Sandbrook three go through trial. If he was working as a detective again they would bump into one another at regional meetings together. Maybe he'd ask her to have a catch-up cup of tea some time.

Ellie's face face turned scornful stared out at the sea. What was she thinking? This is Hardy. You won't heard from him if you beat the information straight out of him. She kicked a large clump of grass in that general direction of the beach below her.

And of course she bloody missed him. She did miss him, godforsaken bloody bony stick of a Scot he was, is - somewhere out there, with his daughter. She missed his long stares and quiet conversations. But he was somewhere far too far away for him to bicker with her.

Ellie stared out at the big blue horizon, for a few minutes, thinking of lost time and regrets, until the idea struck her. Hardy really wasn't further than her oversized orange pocket.

x

"Have you been waiting here the whole time, dad?" Daisy accused, looking rather disappointed.

"Nah- not the whole time. I've been reading the paper." He replied, putting on a rather obviously fake smile. "The world's going to shit, as usual."

Daisy shook her head. "You need to get you job back, dad. You're like a lost puppy." She said, looking at her father objectively.

He, just like mum, was defiantly in the middle of a midlife crisis. Daisy was doing her best to patch up her father, and she had made enormous progress. So far he had put on 3 kilos in the last week just by moving back in the house with Daisy and Tess. Daisy made him apply for a job again, and with a little sneaking around, Daisy made contact with his old pub friends. It was slow progress, but she had gotten as far as making him shave his scruff off one morning, but that was rather useless as he liked his beard.

Perhaps that only thing she really needed to give attention to was his head hair. It hung in his eyes like windscreen wipers, and made him look like a schoolboy at the end of a long holiday. Just as Daisy was about to suggest they go to the barber on the way home from school, Hardy's phone rang. Loudly.

He was so busy admiring the countryside rolling by, and the quiet music on the radio, that he jumped up from shock to the noise of Metallica, and his phone went flying to Daisy's side of the car.

"Bloody hell!" He yelled, and the car took a turn off the tar of the road.

"Shit! Dad?" Daisy caught it the phone with one hand and felt her seat belt doing it's job by gripping onto her chest. The Peugeot cut into some hedges, but Hardy swung the steering wheel and hit the breaks so that they came to a stop on the side of the road.

Still holding the phone in her had, Daisy's eyes turned to her father. They were like daggers.

"What the hell?" Daisy accused. "Was that _Enter Sandman_?"

Hardy looked at her and then at the phone, still screaming at him. He snatched the phone back from her, and in the process of getting it back, he hit the ignore button.

When Metallica finally shut up, it hit him that there was only one person who had _that_ ringtone on his phone.

"Shit." He hissed at the phone, and then a louder " _Shit!_ " at nothing in particular.

Daisy stared at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry, darlin'. Are you okay? Nothing broken?" he asked, gently reaching for her hands, until he got side-tracked. "Is the car okay!?" he exclaimed and hopped out like a spring hare. Tess would literally _kill_ him if anything happened to her car. Hardy inspected the side of his door, and found no dents, but instead a few scratches from the hedge.

" _Shit!_ "

Daisy got out the Peugeot. "Anything that mum will notice?"

"Your mother once noticed a small oil stain on her bumper and gave me three weeks worth of hell for it. If she doesn't notice this, I'll buy you a beer."

Daisy made the same noise that she made when Hardy showed her his pacemaker scar. The side of the Peugeot looked like an open wound of metal.

"Ouch. At least mum's got decent vehicle insurance. I think."

"Yeah- well shit. She'll make me to pay for it anyway. Or make me sandpaper and repaint her whole car for that matter."

"She won't, dad." Daisy said.

"And what makes you think that?"

"She won't trust you to repaint her car. She has insurance, I'm sure of it. She and Dave were arguing about it before they broke up. Besides, if she wants you to pay, I'll just give her the _dad-is-unemployed-and-going-through-a-midlife-crisis-and-he-has-a-life-threatening-heart-condition_ lecture. She'll leave you alone."

And with that, their eyes met, and the two of them burst out into laughter. Good, proper laughter that made Hardy's bell ache and made Daisy snort like a pig. "You're a idiot, dad."

"Trust me, I know that." Hardy said, and she laughed even harder. After a few minutes of more car-related humour, Daisy asked squinted at her dad's phone.

"Who was that calling you anyway? With that heavy metal ringtone?" Daisy squinted to read the screen. "Miller? Is he a-"

"She." He corrected, "Millah's a she." He was looking at her like it was rather obvious.

The teenager stared at him for about two seconds, and then sighed: "Oh. I see how it is." Daisy raised her eyebrows and smiled slyly. How she looked like Tess when she did that. It actually scared Hardy. "You don't have to say anything more."

"Wh- What?"

"It's that Ellie woman, isn't it?"

"Howdoyu-"

"Mum told me about her." Daisy cut him off. It was scary how observant she was. Tess once said that you could give Daisy a few numbers and she'd trace them to the coding of a nuclear bomb. That made him wonder, what exactly Tess told Daisy about Miller. Hardy never really considered what Tess's opinions on Miller were.

"Well, don't just stand there, dad. Are you not going to phone her back?"

x

"This is DI Alec Hardy. Leave a message." As the beep sounded to leave a message, Ellie pressed it dead. _Of course he won't answer his bloody phone_ , she thought to herself, kicking another clump of grass down the to the beach. Ellie made her way down the damp cliffs and ordered fish and chips by Uncle Bert. Half way making small talk with Jocelyn and Maggie on the way back to the top of the cliff, her phone rang again. She sat down on the nearest bench and set her fish and chips aside and answered the phone.

"Hardy?"

"Miller." he replied.

"Hardy?"

"I can hear you." he said. "Miller?" he said, pronouncing her name with out his Scottish rumble.

"Yes?"

"Well, you called me." he prompted.

"Right, well. I wanted to know where you are. It's been two months, you know. You haven't said anything. Not even a bloody text message." she said.

"I noticed."

"What?"

"I noticed it's been two months."  
"And you didn't think to call?" Ellie didn't mean to get angry. She couldn't help it when he was acting like knob. She honestly didn't get any satisfaction from giving him hell. Well, perhaps a little. "You could have died, for all I know. Gotten another heart attack and-"

"You didn't call either, Miller." he said, boring down the line.

Ellie paused. She didn't really think about that. He didn't know what has been happening to her either.

"Anyway. Where am I? I am pulled off at the side of the road just outside Sandbrook."

"What? Why?"

"Because I almost crashed the car. Remember that time I had my phone on silent and you changed your ringtone on my phone?"

"Yes." Ellie recalled. "Yes. Wait - _the Metallica_?" Ellie recalled it properly.

"Yeah. That shite music you downloaded. Well, it caused me to pull into some hedges and-"

"You crashed your car because my ringtone gave you a fright?" Miller blurted out, suppressing laughter.

Hardy remained quiet for a while. "Well, yeah. Now that you said it." He was dead serious.

"Really? Now I feel terrible! It was supposed to be a joke. Are you okay?"

"Calm down, Miller. I'm fine. Nothing happened to Daisy either."

"Your daughter was also in the car!? I could have…"

"Listen now, Miller. Daisy is fine." Hardy assured her. Daisy looked at him when she heard her name. "She is fine, the car is fine. I'm fine."

"Aw, _shit._ You know I'm never going to forgive myself."

"It's okay. As soon as Daisy's cast comes-"

"What?" she stammered. Her insides curled up when she heard him chuckling. "You're joking."

"Yeah." he said in a amused tone. "Where are you, Miller. It sounds very windy."

"Harbour Cliff beach."

"Right. I can hear those gulls. Are you eating fish and chips?"

"How did you know that?"

"Just a guess." He smiled.

"So I take it you're talking to your daughter again?"

"Yes. Well, it's been hard, but I got her back." Daisy gave him a look. "It's going pretty good, actually. Except that I've been living with Tess again."

"With Tess? You didn't get back together with her?"

"No! God no." Hardy said. His eyebrows rose into his hairline. He never wanted to open the chapter with Tess again. "If anything she hates me even more. Tells me every day that I should find a job and get out of her skin. Well you know how she is."

"Yeah." Ellie agreed.

"How are the boys?" he asked, eager so change the subject.

Ellie told him about Fred starting school and Tom with his coding. Daisy didn't recognise the man she was seeing. Her father was smiling at everything this Ellie woman had to say. Ellie told him all the latest gossip in back Broadchurch. About Lucy's new boyfriend, how Jocelyn and Maggie moved in together. About little Lizzy starting to walk and about Susan Wright threatening Nige's life because he stole her PlayStation.

"He did what?"

"Stole her PlayStation. Broke into her caravan last Tuesday and then, well to make a long story short, they both spent a night behind bars. Nige for petty theft and Susan for confession of attempted murder."

Hardy almost chuckled. "Ridiculous town you live in, Miller. So glad I-"

"Dad?" Daisy called out from behind the Peugeot's bonnet.

"Hold on a second." he told Miller. "What is it-"

Hardy froze. Daisy was holding above her head, one of the grey wing mirrors of the car. The wing mirror. The car. _The Metallica incident_. Tess. It took him a few seconds to register that the wing mirror must have been attached to the Peugeot.

Daisy started laughing at his face, because it looked like he just saw something giving birth.

"Dad?"

"She is going to kill me." he whispered.

"I am not going to kill you." Miller said.

" 'M not talking about you, Miller." Hardy said, "The side mirror of Tess's car broke off in the accident."

"Oh."

"This is - I can't" Hardy stammered.

"Jesus Hardy, can't be the end of the world, can it?"

"Miller. You don't understand."

"It's a car part, it can easily be replaced-"

"No Miller. Don't you know... Tess Henchard loves cars more than she loves people."

"It's true!" Daisy shouted, still laughing at her dad.

Miller smiled. "Hardy?"

"Yes?" His voice wavered.

Miller joined Daisy, and pretty soon the three of them were struggling to breathe.

"She'll kick me out tonight, I'm sure of it."

"No she won't."

"Yes she will." Daisy said.

"Yes she will!" Hardy exclaimed between chuckles.

"Are you crying, Hardy?"

"What? No." he said, but that was quickly proven wrong by a gulp of air and a sniff. "Not crying." Hardy said again, fiercely wiping his hairy cheeks.

On the other end of the line, Miller dropped the phone away from her ear and stared at it in disbelief. She's seen him cry before, of course, but that was after he cried. It was the day he left, straight after they closed Sandbrook. His eyes were red and puffy that day. Hardy was his usual haunted self that day, not this stranger who was busy giggling.

"You still there, Miller?" he asked. His voice seemed light and vibrant, and she had herself wandering what his face must look like.

"Yeah." she said.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Daisy raised her eyebrows and shuffled away.

"Are you okay?" she parroted back, shaking her head.

" 'm fine. Just fine. Sorry for the - you know."

"No problem."

"It's just nice to hear your voice again." he said.

She was silent for a while until Hardy realised what he just said. Slowly, he asked another shy "Miller?"

"I'm here."

"I better get this sorted out. The car, I mean. Tess will..."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Well, bye then."

"Bye."

"Bye Miller." he said and pressed the red button. He got back into the car, wing mirror on his lap, Daisy spoke to him in a demanding voice: "So when are you going back to Broadchurch?"

x

When Ellie finished her last chip she walked home the long way round up Linton Hill. She thought long and hard about her conversation with Hardy. She thought about his complaints and about how he loosened up. And his stupid giggling and his shy little "Miller?" he spoke at the end. Right before she reached her front door, Ellie came to the conclusion that she needed Alec Hardy back in her life.

x

 **A/N: I may or may not write a sequel.**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: I wrote a sequel! Thank you everyone for such positive, supportive reviews. You're the reason chapter two exists. *** ◉ ͜ʖ ◉*

 **It kind of scares me how eerie quiet the fandom is getting. I wanted to upload it like three weeks ago, just so there would be something new to read, but this annoying thing called school stole all my free time.**

 **But if you're still here and have not abandoned Broadchruch, thank you. I feel really comfortable writing these characters now. I am not sure where this story is going [I literally got no clue, man], but the improvisation has gotten me this far, so I'm just going to roll with it.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Published: 24 May 2016**

* * *

… **Chapter Two** …

It was three weeks later that Ellie found herself seated in a bathroom stall at the police station. Her small hands rested on her knees and annoying little tears dripped down to her thighs.

She used to come here when something was bothering her. Typical Ellie, when something goes wrong, seek the nearest bathroom... and call Joe.

That was one brilliant quality Joe had. He was always willing to listen to your troubles. Always ready to give you a hug. Ellie recalled the countless times she sat in this stall, quietly explaining her daily battles to Joe, and he'd give her quiet advice. That was still the time when she thought, ironically, that honesty was the best part of Joe.

That sent another set of tears flowing. God, why was she so fucking lonely? She just wanted someone to talk to.

The only other person the really talked to and asked advice about things was Beth. Beth was also a good listener. But even since she forgave Ellie about Danny's case, their friendship remained strained. Often times she felt she could talk to Beth about certain things anymore. She would be busy. Her mind most defiantly on Lizzy, and the charity fund, and as always on Danny. Besides, why would Beth want to hear about her complaining about her boss.

She could call her sister. Then again, Lucy didn't exactly give you a chance to talk, she just went straight to over exaggerated embarrassing teasing. She shook her head at the memory of when Lucy met Joe and started telling him about all the times Ellie apparently 'cried at the wrong time'.

"There me and all my friends were spread out on my dad's sofa, waiting for those _Gremlins_ to eat that guy - oh you don't need the context, really. But just as we all started screaming, Ellie started crying."

"I was a _child_ still, Luce. It was scary."

"Sis, you were fourteen when we watched that. You even had nightmares weeks afterwards. Mum had to tuck you in…"

Ellie shook her head. Oh the amount of times Lucy had embarrassed her in front of boyfriends. She couldn't help crying in movies. She could help but cry at everything, really. It her first instinct, completely engraved into her genetics.

"Ellie! Josh has given you a shout!"

Her lip curled up. If that man gave her another one of his shouts she was going to loose it. How did this situation escalate into Ellie being Josh's personal secretary? Why were people so quick to take advantage of her? She hurriedly poked the elevator button and stormed through the office straight to the kitchenette. Josh was casually leaning against a counter, laughing quietly at what Bob Daniels was saying.

"Josh!" she fired, not caring about her red cheeks.

"Hey! Ellie. I just wanted -"

"I'm going out for lunch." she cut him off. "For about two hours. I need to see my children once in a while." she said. Bob raised his eyebrows.

"I'll see you in two hours, after you did _your_ work." Ellie ordered bluntly. She let his surprised gaze linger for a moment before turning around on her heels.

All through her walk back to her car, she could feel his agonising stare on her back, but she didn't care. _Hope he gets a bloody wake up call._

Ellie pick up Tom, Chloe and Fred from school. Both Chloe and Tom were surprised that she picked them up, or at least they were surprised by her bad mood.

She tackled Tom with his maths until the algebra was frying her brain as much as her son's. Then it was tackling Fred with lunch that he didn't want to stomach and trying to set him down for nap. Fred didn't even try to lay in his bed. The children at his new school had taught him how to use a chair to get to places beyond his reach. Fred was on the crawling on top of counters and rearranging bookshelves.

"God's sake, Fred! Could you not!"

He looked at her with wide eyes.

"Do not going messing about the house!" Ellie scolded, and in typical toddler fashion, the poor boy started crying. He stood on the chair, and moaned at the top of his lungs.

"Fred." Ellie sighed. She held him in her arms for a minute,"There, there. I think it's time for Shaun, yeah?"

Once Fred calmed down retreated to the kitchen and made herself a much needed cup of tea.

With a whole hour to spare until she had to be back at work, Ellie wandered around the house, fixing all the things Fred had fiddled with. When she reached her bedroom, she stank down onto the floor and closed her eyes. _Don't bloody cry again._

It was only after a good ten minutes that she decided to pick up her phone and hesitantly dialled Hardy.

"Millah." he sighed.

"Oh hello Hardy. How are you doing? Did you have a nice weekend?"

"Urg, Miller. Give me a break."

"I take it your day's also been shit?"

He made a grunting noise.

"Tess?"

Another grunting noise.

"Is everything fine with the insurance company?"

"Well Daisy was right about her having decent car insurance, but I'm paying her back on all the damage done anyway. My offer, although it didn't seem to change her attitude. She says I'm a bad influence on Daisy. Wants me to move out."

Ellie was silent for a moment. "No offence but I'd want you too move out too. Living in your ex's house…"

Hardy was taken aback. He considered her. Tess didn't exactly feel like his ex, at least not in the classic sense. Sure, he didn't _love_ her anymore. He didn't want to tell her about all his problems, but she was family. He still had to work with her to raise Daisy.

He sighed deeply when he come to the conclusion that yes, Miller was right, as usual. After all, he would not have liked it if Tess just moved into back into his old blue chalet one day. Not that he owned that blue chalet anymore.

"Have you tried to find an flat or something?

"I need to get a job first." Hardy said. "You know she changed the whole house. Redid everything. Stripped the walls off my old study, removed all the pictures of me." he said, crossing his arms. "Said she wanted a clean start. Ha, more like an attempt to get rid of me."

Ellie sat upright, picking up her one leg and sitting on it. "Yeah?"

"By all means, rebuild the house we bought, but don't bulldoze me out of Daisy's life the second I get in." Hardy moaned, then he realised what he'd said. Miller most defiantly also got rid of all of Joe's photos. Just as he was about to apologise, Miller jumped in.

"Are you looking for a job?"

"Why, do you want me back in Broadchurch?" Hardy said, voice drenched in sarcasm.

"I heard there was someone retiring in Devon, that's all." Ellie said, keeping her tone strict and professional. "I'll send you the CS's number."

"That would be kind. Dais'll like that." Hardy said.

"Yeah, I bet Tess will love that."

"Anything to get me out her house." Hardy said in amusement. "Miller?"

"Yeah I'm still here."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fantastic."

Stillness. "Is it something about to do with Joe?"

Ellie was surprised by that. No one ever had the guts to talk about directly about Joe with her. When the conversation reached the subject of Joe, someone usually changed to topic, or just spoke to Ellie in kind, empathetic tones. Hearing Joe's name spoken so clear, and almost emotionless, gave release to something inside of Ellie.

"No. Nothing to do with him, thank god. It's just, that the new DI is overworking me." she said.

"Do I know him?"

"Nope. He's from Winchester. I guess he's sort of, well, lazy."

Slowly, Ellie explained all her problems of the day. From running out of tea bags in the morning, to her argument with Tom about his Maths mark, and of course Josh abusing her with emails and shouts. She said how hard she was finding the single mother still, and how much she wished Tom could be happy again.

When she finished, Hardy told her that her day beat his in terms of shit-ness by far. She smiled at that.

"I have to go now." Miller said.

"Get back to the boss?"

"Yeah." Miller said. Stillness once again filled the air.

"Thank you. This was nice."

Hardy blinked.

"It's a pleasure, Miller." he said with disbelief. This was new.

When they ended the call, she got back into her car and the weight of the world and shifted a tiny bit.

x

"Tom! Cousin Thomas!" Olly sang, looking up from his phone. "Ready for the arcade?"

"The arcade?"

"Your mum sent me a message. Said you needed to chat to me?" Olly questioned. "I'm taking that as a no."

"Yeah. Mum's just worried, probably."

"Well, we still have to talk. Maybe just about my five-year standing high score in Space Invaders." Olly joked, grinning at his rival.

"That would be great, but I've got no change, Oliver." Tom said, hands retreating to his pockets. It was very unlike Tom to be so despondent, especially about games.

"Well, it is a good thing that I dug up this." Olly smiled, placing a large gherkin jar on the table. Behind the old packaging labels, the contents of the jar glowed in dull bronze and silver.

Tom couldn't help but grad the jar, and smell the hundreds of games he could play with it.

"Curtesy of Aunt Lucy the hoarder?"

"Curtesy of my mother the hoarder, yes." Olly said, and they shuffled out the door to the arcade. They played their usual round of games, Tom winning in most of the games, except for Olly and his ever rising top score in Space Invaders. After about a quarter of the jar disappeared, Tom asked to go out for some fresh air. He seemed strangely distant, and he had the same face on that he wore throughout the trail.

Very carefully, Olly asked: "Is it about those soccer guys?"

"No." he answered quickly, leaning against a cold, winter streetlamp.

"Is it about your mum?"

Olly waited a while for his cousin to find his words.

"Do you think - I mean. Will mum start dating?"

"Maybe." Olly said thoughtfully. "My mother did. But maybe Ellie is different. I don't think she will anytime soon."

Tom nodded and put his hands back in his pockets. It seemed the conversation had ended, and Olly understood. If Tom didn't feel like talking, he didn't feel like talking. Sometimes you just want to keep your own shit to yourself. That was something Aunt Ellie and his mother had trouble understanding about Tom.

x

"Dad! I think I found your old passport!" Daisy exclaimed.

Hardy looked up, taking the booklet in his hands.

"Look at you! You look so grumpy." Daisy remarked.

"Is not!" Hardy said, looking at his twenty-something-year-old self and shaking his head. He was a lot less grumpy then.

He and Daisy were sitting on the carpet in the living room. The contents of his old life was scattered around the room. Boxes were stacked around them like an arena of sorts, spectating them going through each old box. Only the top of of Hardy and his daughter's auburn heads sticking out.

"Well I think you looked handsome." Daisy said, "But not in that photo, everyone looks shit-"

"Language!"

"- in their ID photos. Look at this one."

She passed him a card from the box. He frowned, not recognising where it came from.

 _Dear Alec_

 _Merry Xmas! You're spending the next one with me, okay?_

 _Love Tess xox_

Stapled to the one end of the card was a blurry photo of Hardy wearing a PC cap and uniform. The photo must have been taken in the spur of the moment, because there was other officers in the background, looking at the camera, pulling funny faces. His hair was airborne as Tess's hand pulled on his shoulder to make him face the camera.

"Were you and mum dating yet in this photo?" Daisy asked, setting the box of photos on her lap.

"No - ur - I don't think so."

"You don't remember?"

"No it's just-"

Him and Daisy both knew the answer: He was terrible with women and it was about three years of misread signals until he finally started dating Tess, but he didn't feel like admitting it. Hardy placed the photo back in the box, and watched his own face stare at the ceiling. The photo was so old, yet the polaroid ink still shone back at him, his eyes golden brown as he looked at Tess.

"We weren't dating yet. It was in Scotland that Christmas."

"Oh, yeah?"

"It was that year your Gran died. I had to be there for Grandpa, and Aunt Margie." He said. It was the worst Christmas of his life. Coldest, whitest, saddest Christmas of his life.

Daisy's eyes grew big. "Gran died in that October, right?"

"No, the November." Hardy recalled. November the fifteenth, eleven thirty in the morning, his a blue hospital bed, clenching onto Margie's left hand.

"She was sick for a long time before that. It wasn't a surprise."

Daisy nodded. An odd sense of Déjà vu suddenly overcame Hardy. He remembered sitting on the floor of his parent's flat in Glasgow, also sorting through photos, laughing and crying when he got to the bottom of the box.

He looked at the card again, rereading Tess's round handwriting.

"Yes, your mum was unhappy with me because we planned to go down to the sea for a few weeks with friends. We had a row before I left. I think she sent this was a sort of peacemaker."

"Did it work?"

"It did cheer me up." Hardy said truthfully. Anything was better than spending constant time with his father and sister.

"Fancy that, mum making you happy." Daisy joked. The smile didn't last very long.

He picked up the shoe box of photos and set them aside. They both stared at it for a minute, thinking of all the times that have ended.

He thought of the promise he made to himself when he was Daisy's age. With his parents making life a living hell for him and his sister, he promised himself that he'd find the right woman. He promised to make his children grow up in a respectable household, but look at her now. His daughter, haunted by the wrongdoings of her parents. Every day, Daisy was affected by he truths, or rather the lack of them, that he and Tess still kept from her.

"I'm sorry, darling." Hardy said, apologising for everything and nothing in particular. He wished he and Tess didn't let Daisy go through the divorce, and the Sandbrook investigation. He wished she knew the truth - the whole truth - about what happened at the river.

And about Tess and Dave.

Daisy shook her head, her eyes looking avoiding Hardy's. She picked up the next box from the mountain. And so they sat, for hours, going through books, old toys and records. The occasional comment, teasing, but mostly comfortable silence. At some stage through the process, Hardy's phone beeped.

"Is it Ellie?"

He raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the screen. It was Miller, sending the number of the CS form Devon.

"Yes. How did you know."

"Daughter of two detectives." Daisy said, quickly burying her head in a book, hiding her grin.

Hardy typed Miller a:

 **Thank you. I will phone them later.**

Daisy watched how her father's phone continued to beep, and how his slow fingers worked on the keypad.

"I want to meet this Ellie Miller." Daisy dared to declare. "She seems very _nice_."

Hardy looked up in confusion. "Miller? Nice? Who have you been speaking to?"

"I don't know. Just the way mum talks about her too. I think - I think she's good for you, dad." Daisy said. "And I want to meet her."

"Now listen, Daisy, it is a long drive to Broadchurch."

"Please, dad. It's like two hours."

"It is two and a half there, three back including afternoon traffic - half the day, _gone-_ "

"And that is exactly why you take the train." Daisy riposted. "An hour there, and hour back. Please, dad. I can I meet her."

Daisy meeting Miller would be a scary sight. The two of them together teasing him would be the most colossally annoying thing in the world. Then again, he knows Miller's children fairly well, but she hasn't got the slightest idea what Daisy's like. He hasn't told her much of anything.

I lightbulb went off in Hardy's mind. It could also be a fairly good excuse to meet up with Miller in person.

 **Daisy has been nagging me. She wants to meet you.**

He typed so quickly, he didn't even check spelling. A few moments later, her reply came through:

 **You told her about me?**

 **Nope. She got psychic messages.**

 **Oh haha. I am off work this weekend, if you want to come. How about catching the 11:00 train on Sat. Lunch at 12?**

He stared at the screen for a while. Was it really that easy?

 **Sounds good. Will check with her now.**

"Miller is asking if we want to go so Broadchurch on Saturday."

"What? You actually asked her?" Daisy stammered. She sat cross-legged on the carpet, her nose in a book, but as soon as she heard him speak, she smiled broadly.

Hardy looked unimpressed that his daughter was that impressed.

"Yes. Tell her I'd love to meet her." she said.

"I'm asking because don't you have something on? Art classes with that Mrs- Mrs…?"

"Mrs Steyn? Nah, I can miss that for once in my life. It's not like she's going to miss me anyway." Daisy rushed.

He sat staring at his hands for a minute.

"Type, dad! Come on."

Hardy pulled out his phone and hesitantly hit the buttons.

 **We can come.**

"Tell her you're bringing wine." Daisy instructed.

"Wine? For Miller? No."

"Why?"

"Daisy."

"Come on, Dad. It is just a bottle…" she nagged.

"Daisy!" he silenced, "Miller and I are hardly the kind of people that drink together. We're not friends. It would be too much if I made her cook us lunch, and then-"

"Okay, well at least offer to bring something, dad. You don't want to be seem rude."

"I'm not being rude!"

"I know that. Just offer. It's good manners."

 **Can we bring anything with?**

They waited a long while before Miller's reply came through.

 **Wine :)**

Hardy rolled his eyes.

"What did she say?" Daisy questioned, taking the phone from him. She burst out in laughter. Yes, Daisy and Miller are going to be a shitstorm together.

x

"Alec." Tess knocked. "Daisy and I are eating with Louise and Dot tonight. Alec?"

"Yes, I heard." Hardy said. "Enjoy."

"Bye."

"Bye." Hardy said, watching her move back to the kitchen. "Is it Louise and Dot from Victoria Road?"

"Yes?" Tess confirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"Doesn't she have a son. An older son?"

"Jack, yes. He is nineteen."

"Keep an eye on Dais, would you? I don't want her getting involved with the wrong kind of boy."

"Jack is perfectly sensible."

"I know." Hardy assented. "But it's a three year age gap and I-"

"I know." Tess said. "I don't want that either."

They both looked amazed that they could agree on something.

"Right."

Tess moved to the door, but stopped and looked at the boxes.

"Making progress, are we?"

"I suppose. I only have three boxes to go." Hardy said, looking at all his old clothes on a pile.

"With Daisy, I mean."

"Oh." Hardy. "Right. She's come round, I suppose. We're going to Broadchurch on Saturday, I wanted to tell you."

Tess's eyes lingered on the box of photos for a bit. "I think you're really won her back." Tess said. Then, as if realising the meaning of her words, she went back to being herself.

"Out by the end of this month." She prodded.

"Right."

x

On Saturday at prettily twelve o'clock, Hardy knocked on the door four times until a sullen-looking Tom Miller opened the door for them.

"Hello Tom."

"Hardy." Tom greeted. Shaking the man's hand. The teenage boy had much more of an interest with the person behind the door.

"I'm Daisy. His daughter?"

"Yeah." Tom said, looking at the bracelets on her wrist. "Yeah Hello. I'm Tom."

"Hi."

"Where's your mum?" Daisy asked., after a moment of stiff silence. Tom opened his mouth to talk, but a rasping whiff of air descended from the kitchen. They all pulled their noses up in disgust.

"TOM! Help!" Miller cried.

"I'm coming, mum-"

"Get off your phone and bloody help me! Fred made me burn the bloody oxtail."

Daisy and Hardy watched Tom run off. Then they stood in the threshold and listened to the drama unfold.

"I swear if I get my hands on him-"

"Mum, he's three. It's not his fault."

"I don't think so. I told him not to touch the-"

The creaking sound of an opening oven door echoed through the house, followed by two perfectly chorused "EW!'' 's.

"Really? Do you want to blame this on the weather? Disgusting! Oh shit, Tom, this is really terrible. And Hardy should be here any minute…"

"He's already here, mum."

"What!" she hissed.

More hissing. Daisy gave Hardy an amused look.

The two Millers walked into through the kitchen, and the first thing Ellie said was: "I'm sorry. Sorry- sorry, You must be Daisy. I'm Ellie."

"Hi is everything okay? Can I help?" the girl said.

"Nope. Choas, but nothing you can do."

"Hello Miller."

"Hardy. Hi." she said.

"Here he is, Mum." Tom said, shuffling his brother down the stairs.

"He looks like an angel." Daisy observed. It was true, of course. With sandy blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, anyone would think Fred to be some heaven-child. Ellie, however, just saw her naughty son and her depressed son come down the stairs and her patience could not take it any longer.

"Fred." She spoke sharply, "Have you been fiddling with the oven? Did you play with the buttons?"

The toddler looked down at his feet.

"Fred." she warned.

"I saw heard the chairs move in the kitchen while you were in the bath." Tom added.

"And you didn't think to go and check on him?"

Tom looked wounded, as if trying to say: _I didn't do anything. Don't make this about me, woman_.

"Fred, I told you not to mess with things in the house. Now all the food I made is burnt and we can't eat it."

The toddler was overwhelmed by the two visitors staring at him, and his mother's shouting, that he simply ran to her nearest person and hugged.

Hardy's eyes were saucepans when the boy crashed against his legs.

"Sorry, mummy." Fred said between cries.

Hardy put a hand of the boy's back. For the first time since they arrived, Ellie met Hardy's eyes. Ellie looked embarrassed that that is how she handles her children, and almost looked away, but Hardy spoke for her.

"It's okay, wee Fred. We can still eat. Your mummy's food is burnt, but it's okay. It is not the end of the world. We all makes mistakes."

"There is a chippie place down at the harbour." Ellie said. "We can go there if you want."

"Did you heard that, Fred? Your mum wants to go down to the beach."

The boy raised his head and shyly looked at his mother. Then he decided Hardy was not good enough, and ran to Ellie and hugged her legs. Daisy started laughing, because she had never seen her father that confused.

"Sorry, Mummy." Fred said again.

Tom shut the kitchen door closed. "Can we get out of this house?" Tom asked, waving hands before his face to get rid of the smell of blackened meat.

"Yeah." Daisy agreed, stepping towards the door.

"Okay, open some windows, would you, Tom. Grab your coat. Fish and chips it is!" Ellie declared.

"Fish and chips it is." Hardy sighed.

x


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N:** **Published: 6 July 2016**

* * *

… **Chapter Three** …

Four coats - royal blue, maroon, tan and black - trotted after a vibrant orange windbreaker down to the centre of town, until the five of them settled into a booth at the local Chippie.

"I am sorry it had to boil down to this. My oxtail would have been fantastic, Fred."

"No worries. Nothing like proper fish 'n chips." Daisy grinned. "So, you and dad used to work together?" Daisy inquired.

"Yeah. Drove me bonkers." Miller said, reading the kiddie's menu. "Drove me up the wall."

"Aw come on, it wasn't that bad, Miller."

"The beginning was. Then I got used to you. Had to let it marinate." Miller teased.

"Ouch." Daisy said, grinning at her dad. "Do you always call her Miller?"

"Now, now, Miller. You forget, I also had to get used to you. You're not exactly a ray of sunshine yourself." Hardy said.

Ellie, Tom and Daisy all glared at Hardy.

"And you are?"

"No. Not me - I'm a f- bl- thunderstorm. I'm just saying, you were hard to get along with as well, Millah. It took a while."

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "Right."

"Now don't get upset. You know - never mind. You win, you're probably right." Hardy said, pecking at his nails.

"Do you always call her Miller?" Daisy asked. "And you call him Hardy?"

The adults frowned at each other.

"I think you should call each other by first names." Daisy suggested.

"If Hardy even know's my mum's first name." Tom spoke, for the first time since they entered the restaurant. The boy flashed a cool look in Hardy's direction. "Yeah. I bet you only know her as _'Millahr'_ , don't you?"

"It's Ellie. Ellie Miller." Hardy said, releasing some of the tension around the table. Tom's eyes were flashing at Hardy. Ellie looked around nervously, and decided the best way to cope was by laughing. Daisy joined in, because Hardy's accent made her name sound more like 'Eel-ee' than Ellie.

"What?" Hardy muttered, which only resulted in more giggles from Miller. Hardy couldn't explain it, but he felt his cheeks heat.

"Daisy, darling, your father is never going to call me Ellie, and I will sure as hell _never_ call him -"

"ALEC!" Fred exclaimed.

"Yes, Freddie. I don't think we'll be on a first name bases, ey Hardy?"

x

Later, when they were finished eating, the winter sun decided to show it's shy face, and the five of them went for a walk outside. Fred was so full of energy, that he ran out ahead of the adults, and Tom and Daisy followed.

"Hey, Tom!" Daisy said. "Where is that ice-cream place you were talking about?"

"Um? Just down that way?"

"What do you say we get some? Come on Freddie, let's get you a 99. Do you want some, Dad?"

"No. I-" he started in his high-pitched _I-just-don't-fancy-it_ voice, but Daisy cut him off.

"Great! I'll leave you two to it." the teenager said, giving her father a broad smile. He looked at her with his head turned sideways, completely oblivious to what she was hinting.

Ellie watched her children and Daisy walk up the pier. She and Hardy sat down on their old bench.

"So Alec." Ellie said.

Hardy tilted his head back. "Come on, please don't. Not you too." he sighed. "We're not on a first-name basis, remember."

"Yeah, but you never did say why you don't like it."

He gave her a look.

"I was your personal chauffeur for over a year, Hardy. The least you can do is tell me why don't you like your name?"

Ellie frowned. Hardy almost knew her entire life's story, yet she didn't know the slightest about him. The minute Ellie tried to get past his shell, he cut her off.

Now he did that thing he did whenever a personal question popped up that he didn't feel like answering. His eyes trailed away from Ellie's face and back to the cliffs, seeing but not seeing.

Ellie rolled her eyes and followed his gaze, looking at their children. Fred, who was jumping up and down on the concrete, had bounced straight into Daisy's legs. Tom moaned at his brother, but Daisy picked the little boy up by the armpits and put him on her hip. Ellie smiled.

"Tom seems a bit off, doesn't he."

"Do you also think so? Lucy told me I was over exaggerating by worrying about him."

"No. He doesn't seem himself."

"Maybe it's because of Daisy." Miller suggested. "She's pretty, you know."

Miller was pulling her sleeves over her fingers and playing with the zipper of her jacket.

"What?" he spluttered.

"Your daughter, Hardy. I said she's pretty."

Hardy looked at for a while. "Aye. She looks like her mother."

"I don't think so." Ellie said, straightened out the newspaper of Tom's fish and chips. "She has your eyes."

Hardy looked at her funny. "Daisy has blue eyes."

"I know." Ellie said, annoyed. "It not the colour it's the -" she struggled to find the words, "- the way she makes facial expressions. Also the pretty shape of them."

She remained still for a moment, until she realised why Hardy had an amused twitch in his cheek.

"Pretty eyes?"

"I didn't mean that." Ellie said quickly.

"Mean what?"

"It's nothing. Never mind."

"So my daughter has my eyes, which are pretty, but my eyes on my face are _not_ _pretty_?" Hardy smirked. He enjoying seeing her stumble over her words.

"It's because of her make-up." Ellie recovered. "She has nice mascara on."

"Do I have nice mascara on?"

"Oh shut up." Ellie snapped, hiding her blush with a frown and a look in the other direction.

"Okaaay." Hardy sang. "Okay."

Tom was walking to the edge of the pier now. Daisy and Fred trailed behind. They sat in a silence, much like they did that night of Danny's wake. The wind filling the emptiness, until a voice called out:

"Ellie! Ellie Miller!"

The voice belonged to no one other than Joshua Brown. He stopped next to Ellie, extending an arm and pulling her into a hug.

"Josh? What are you doing here?" Ellie chattered.

"Taking an afternoon stroll. Enjoying the sunlight, or the lovely company it brings, more like." Josh grinned.

Ellie laughed. "Broadchurch and the people who live here, right. Nothing like a day on the beach. Even in October!"

"Right! I am absolutely loving the atmosphere of the place. Oh, who is this? A friend?" Josh enquired, turning to Hardy.

Hardy, oblivious to his lip curling up, muttered his name and shook the man's hand.

"So you're the famous DI Alec Hardy of the Sandbrook murders? I have read so much about you!"

"Nothing bad, I hope?" Ellie said.

"Hope not." Hardy added.

"My name is Joshua Brown, but please call me Josh. I work with Ellie now. I am the new DI." he said. "Your _replacement._ " he teased. "You were a very lucky man to have had a cop like El on your team during Danny's investigation. Brilliant copper, this one is."

"Right." Hardy said stiffly, watching Ellie shake her head and smile at Josh.

"Right." Hardy repeated.

"I best be off." Josh said, "I've got cottage pie in the oven, wouldn't want it to burn."

Hardy looked at Ellie.

"Well, the hills be calling! The birds be chirping…"

"Wind be howling." Ellie finished for him.

"Yeah." He giggled, "Bye, El. See you on Monday. Hardy-" Josh beamed, walking down the peer.

"Is that the arsehole detective you-?"

"Keep your voice down." Ellie huffed.

"The guy that makes you work till midnight and has twelve tea breaks a day with Bob?"

"No, Josh, doesn't do that. At least not so much anymore."

"I think he's an arsehole." Hardy said bluntly, freely speaking his thoughts.

"I'm not- Where did that come from?"

"Why are you defending him, eh?" he mumbled.

Hardy looked like a angry hedgehog. Spikes sticking out everywhere, posture cramped like a ball. His eyes were back to being cold like they were when he spoke about Lee Ashworth all those months ago.

"What has gotten into you?"

Then he leaned back on their bench, and crumpled his hands into fists. Ellie shook her head and mimicked him, crossing her orange sleeves over each other.

x

"So you like games, right?"

"I like video games, yes."

"What kind?"

"Oh um, like everything really. First person shooter, FIFA, strategy, horror… Open world is one of my favourites. Although lately I've been doing this IT course."

"Like programming and stuff?"

"Yeah, I want to know how computers work, you know." Tom said. "I find it pretty amazing that people go their whole lives using phones, laptops, cameras, tellies; without having the faintest clue how they work."

"That is me exactly," Daisy said. "I haven't got the faintest idea how my phone works."

"Neither do I!" Tom exclaimed. "That's the point though. It's a mystery you've got to solve."

"You're pretty funny." Daisy said.

"You are too. I would not have guessed to to be Hardy's daughter."

"Why not?"

Tom looked uncomfortable. "You look - well I guess- You know how-" The teenager looked like he dug his own grave. Luckily he was saved by Fred, who stopped babbling and started shouting at Tom.

"Dad!" Fred exclaimed, looking at Tom, "Daddy?"

"Not your dad, Fred. Your bro."

"Daddy?"

"Dad is not here, remember." Tom said clearly.

Daisy observed.

"But Daddy-" Fred pointed toward the bench where Hardy and Ellie were sitting.

"Oh, that's Daisy's dad, not our's." Tom explained softly, "Daisy can call Hardy dad, but we have to call him Alec. Remember what Mum said about Joe?"

"Joe moved away." Fred quoted, "Joe is not coming back."

The toddler half smiled up at Daisy, not understanding the meaning of his mother's words at all.

"It's okay Fredkins," Daisy said, ruffling up his curls. "I'll let you in on a secret. My dad, he really likes children. Doesn't come across like it, but he loves 'em. If you ask Alec, he'll be you best friend."

"Really?"

"Really really. So let's see, chocolate or vanilla?"

"Brown one!"

x

"Does Daisy know about Tess's affair?" Miller asked.

"What? Did you only read Olly's article now?"

"I just thought about it now. You couldn't have told her about it, otherwise she's be living with you after the divorce. So Daisy didn't know about the pendant either, did she?" Ellie asked.

She rolled her eyes. Hardy was already looking at the cliffs.

"Hardy." she said, her face deadpan.

"Hardy?"

"Still haven't told her." he said, taking his hands out his pockets and tapping his fists together. Miller remained silent, and looked at her partner next to her. _Was he opening up?_ He never expressed his emotions outwardly like he did now. During Joe's trial, she was sure he never would.

"I think she already knows." he said after a while. "I think she always did."

"You should talk to her about it." Miller instructed.

Hardy nodded, now cracking his fingers. He looked somewhat vulnerable, Ellie thought, and broken. _Yes, broken_ like that time he told her 'untimely, we're all alone.'.

Ellie swallowed. Maybe she could push this a bit further. "Did you know about Tess?"

His eyes met Ellie's briefly, and then rushed back to his hands.

"Of course I didn't." He breathed. "I didn't suspect it one bit."

"And when you found out?"

"It was one of the worst days of my life." he said.

What day could be worse than finding out your partner was unfaithful and your career has built down to nothing? Ellie turned to face him, knocking her knees against his legs. His eyes shot toward her's. Instead of turning her legs away, she found them strangely comfortable in their position.

"Mum! Ey-cream!" Fred cried, running toward them, face half brown from chocolate.

"Christ! Look at the state of you! Tom? Were you not watching him."

"He was." Daisy said.

"I was."

"But then-"

"Chocolate!" the toddler screeched.

"Yeah." the teenagers said in unison.

"Let's go home. To clean you up, Freddie."

"And to have some tea. I need it." Tom said.

"Yeah. We can have those Zoo biscuits." Miller agreed, leading the way in orange.

Daisy smiled, grabbing her father's arm.

"You okay?"

"Blooming." he said with a glint in his eyes, "Just _blooming_ , that's it."

* * *

 **A/N: Kinda a shorter chapter, but an eventful one. Thanks for getting this far :) I have half of the next one done, so the wait won't be so long. Hopefully.**


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: I had an anonymous writing to me on Tumblr asking: 'Zoo biscuits?', that were mentioned in in the previous chapter. Well it never occurred to me before, but Zoo biscuits are a South African thing. They're these cheap biscuits with a ton of rock hard icing on them that break the teeth of little kids. Okay it's not that hard, but a friend of mine literally lost her two front teeth eating a zoo biscuit when she was seven... Anyway, I dunno why, but I feel they're the kind of thing Miller would feed her kids.**

 **So Chapter Four is up! I am enjoying writing this story, and I have a good idea of how I want to end it, but don't stress, that will only be after lots more chapters. This chapter was very fun to write, and it even had me giggling to myself. Stupid stupid, I know.**

 **I would like to thank the mysterious anonymous reviewer '** **ak** **'. I really appreciate the nice comments. :D Hope you guys enjoy...**

 **Published: 14 July 2016**

* * *

… **Chapter Four** …

"How was the lunch with Ellie, then?" Tess asked.

Daisy smiled, "Awesome." she said, "Right, dad?"

"Wha- yeah." Hardy said, "We ate fish and chips because Miller's son burt the food."

"Doesn't she cook herself?"

"Oh she does, but Fred's three. He messed about with the oven, so the food burt. We had spent the day at the pier, but it great." Daisy said, "I really like it by the ocean. I like Tom, and Ellie too. She's good for you, dad."

"Is it?" Tess asked. Hardy shook his head and tried to avoid making eye contact. She was giving him one of those looks.

"Yes." Daisy said, "How was your day, mum?"

Tess did eventually corner him, but after dinner when Daisy had gone to bed.

"Finished with those boxes, are we?"

"Yeah." Hardy groaned, setting down a book on the coffee table.

"Sandra at the station said there's a position open in Exmouth. For DS."

"Devon? Yes, Miller told me about that. I should go on Monday."

"Do you want the Super's number?" Tess asked.

"Thanks, but Miller already sent it." Hardy said, taking off his glasses and seeing Tess's blurry face sit down beside him on the sofa.

He twitched when she took his hands, laying them down on her thighs. For a minute they just sat there in silence. Hardy was watching their conjoined hands, and then her sharp face, and then their hands again, and he came to a conclusion.

A month ago, he would have savoured this sort of attention coming from his ex-wife. But now, he was reminded of the years he spent on the battlefield during their marriage.

He looked at her and saw the woman who betrayed him when he needed her the most. He saw the woman who snapped at him, insulted him and emotionally abused him for years. And he saw, at the same time, _Tess_. He was reminded of late nights when her hands would ruffle his hair and tickle his neck. He looked at her and saw early morning kisses, and tight hugs after weekends at the police station. He saw the mother of his child, his protector and laughter.

He could tell she was thinking about it too, smiling her sly grin and watching him with her big, etched eyes.

But then, he let go of her, and she helped push him away. No words to be said, they smiled at each other, knowing some boxes are best to be left collecting dust under the staircase.

x

To Hardy's surprise, he gets the job in Devon. And not only a position at the station, but DI.

He blinked, putting down the phone on the table. Hardy thought he'd never get to be a detective again, and he'd be stuck teaching at some police academy all this life. Now he got to be a Detective Inspector again. He almost felt as happy as when he first got the promotion.

He pulled out his phone and texted:

 **Guess who's the new DI in Devon :))**

A few minutes later, Miller was beaming through the phone's speaker.

"You got DI?"

"Yeah." he smiled.

"That's fantastic, Hardy! How did you get it? Are you not suspended because of - Well me beating up Joe?"

"Oh I am, but only until next month. The Super was willing to overlook it because he said I had the most experience out of all the applicants."

"God, this is great."

"I was not expecting it at all."

"I knew Dominic would have a spot spot for you. And Clive probably also had something to do with it. He's got this thing for Scots, you know. Have a told you about New Year's eve in 1999…"

Miller started babbling on about the CS, but he wasn't listening, only thinking about how much closer Exmouth was to Broadchurch.

x

Like every Saturday, Tom hovered downstairs and started cooking breakfast. Three eggs, two pieces of toast and a whole glass of the orange juice with the little pieces in still wouldn't fill him up completely, but if he ate any more, his mum would shout.

He settled in front of the television, but didn't really watch the big screen in front of him. He was scrolling through his Twitter feed, that provided nothing interesting, and then Facebook, which was even more boring. His phone _tinged_ , signifying a new email. He opened it up, frowning at the message.

 **Hi Tom. hows it going? how are you doing? hope u haven't forgotten me yet…**

 **-Old friend :)**

He rolled his eyes and closed the email. 'boy1710071 ' wasn't the kind of thing he was going to waste his time on. Especially if it was going to be some internet troll he might or might not have met when he was five.

x

Late at night, the only thing making noise in the Broadchurch police station was the printer, which beeped every now and then, declaring 'READY' on the interface. Ellie, who worked lated on weekdays, had developed a strong dislike for the machine. Ellie would be deep in concentration, when the printer beeped, distracting her from whatever paperwork she was going through.

One night the printer was bothering her so much, she was prompted to march through the office and pull the thing's plug straight from the wall. When she got there, Josh was already trying to turn the thing off.

"Dammit- Oh, hello Ellie. This thing bothering you too?"

"Yeah. That sound is so loud." she complained.

"I agree But now-" Josh said, "-I killed it." he said, throwing the cable onto the carpet.

Ellie smiled, turning back toward her office.

"Are you going home yet?"

"Almost. I have to finish my last bit of work on that Foxglove Road theft. Why?"

"Just wondering." Josh said, placing down his papers on a table.

"Say Ellie, if I asked you to go out with me some time, what would you say?"

Ellie stopped in her tracks. "On a _date_?"

"If you want to call it that." Josh said, "We can grab a drink tonight if you like."

Ellie's eyes widened and with embarrassment she felt her face reddening. Looked at him, standing hands in his pockets, smiling a cheeky smile.

"Josh," she breathed, "I'd love to go out some time,"

He grinned, leaning against the door.

"but I have a two year old waiting for me at home."

"I understand." he said, "Fred, you said his name was? And Tom. You best get back to them, but Friday, six o'clock?"

"Sounds great." she said, "But not the pub."

"Of course not he pub. If it's a date, you say, we'll have to go to a restaurant."

Ellie laughed at that.

x

"I cannot believe you're actually going."

"I'm not leaving the country, Daisy." Hardy said, holding a packet full of old clothes.

"But Exmouth is three hours away!"

"Only one on the train. You'll visit ofter, if it suits your mother. And why are you so upset now? There weren't any tears when I left for Broadchurch."

She gave him a look, "That was completely different. I was still angry at you then for divorcing mum. Now it's different." Daisy said, closing the boot of his newly bought second hand car.

"Come here." he growled, pulling her into a hug.

"It's not fair. Just when I get used to you, you leave." She pulled him closer.

"Now, now." he kissed her forehead. "Don't get soppy."

"I'm fine." Daisy said, rolling her eyes. "Arn't you supposed to be the soppy one?" She hugged him once more and then he got into the car.

"Goodbye, dad."

"I'll see you next week, Dais."

"Okay. remember to send me photos. And call Ellie when you get there. She'll be worried too."

Hardy nodded, stepping on the accelerate pedal. "And stay away from Jack, would you."

x

Tom was on the couch, opening his inbox to find a third email from 'boy1710071 '.

"Mum?"

"Hello. Have you been waiting long? I got take-out."

"Great. Listen, mum, I've been wanting-"

"I have to talk you. I have news." she put the plastic on the counter, "Sit down," she prompted.

"News?" Tom asked, "Is it Joe?"

"No." Ellie said. "No at all. Joe's still in Cardiff. He hasn't gone anywhere. I wanted to tell you, someone at work has asked me out on a date."

Tom nodded.

"His name is Josh. He is a police officer. We're going to have dinner on Friday night."

Ellie watched Tom. His hair hanging over his face, clouding her view from his eyes.

"Are you okay with it, Tom? If you're not, I won't go."

"I'm fine with it."

"Okay. It's not serious. We're just giving this a shot, okay." Ellie sighed. Tom went in and hugged her. She was taken back. Ellie couldn't remember the last time her son hugged her.

When she let go, Tom mumbled something.

"What was that, sweetie?"

"No I just thought if you'd be going on any dates… if you'd be going out, it would be with Hardy."

"Hardy?" Ellie repeated, scrunching up her face. "Not Hardy, no. What makes you think that?"

x

The Exmouth police station was nothing like Broadchurch's new concrete building. It was an old fashioned, red-bricked structure, and it was only ten minutes from Hardy's new flat.

Hardy's flat wasn't the greatest, but it was the closest thing he could find to the station. He woke up on the couch in the one room flat (Hardy hadn't bothered to find a bed and mattress yet) and made himself toast, which he ate on the way to work.

Hardy was reminded of when he first started in Broadchurch. Hardy went to Broadchurch looking for some quiet, and instead he got the opposite: a new child murder investigation. Perhaps Exmouth would be different. He hoped so. At least this seaside town was a little more permanent. He was not going to spend the first year living in a hotel room.

As he entered the building, he greeted the PC who first helped him, but Hardy had long forgotten his name. Once upstairs, he settled into his new desk, unpacking some paperwork and stationary.

"Alec Hardy?" said a man. A tall man with a purple shirt, and promising smile. Hardy panicked - had he met this man before? Did he have to remember his name?

"I just came to say welcome. My name is Clive." he said, taking Hardy's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Alec."

"Call me Hardy. I don't really like the first name thing." he said.

"Like that, are we? In that case, call me Cox." Clive said, reaching out and stroking Hardy's shoulder. He blinked.

"Just shout if you need help with anything." Clive said, strolling out the office, and closing the door behind him. " _Anything at all_."

When the door clicked shut, Hardy sat back in his chair.

 _Was that… ? Never mind_ , Hardy told himself, and stretched out his legs under the table. They were stiff from sleeping on the sofa.

The rest of the morning continued as it usually would. He had a heck of a load of admin to plough through, which kept him occupied until late morning. He only took his first break to make a cup of tea after twelve. Unsurprisingly, a bunch of DS's flocked in his direction to make small talk. He groaned. What was it with the countryside folk?

"Hi, you're the new-?"

"Alec Hardy, yes. And yourself?" he asked.

"Jeanine Griffiths. DS." she said, "I sit over- there. It's good to have someone new on the team. Where do you come from?"

"Broadchurch - small town close to Weymouth. And before that Sandbrook."

"Oh." she said. Hardy could see the gears working, "You were on Danny's case, weren't you."

"Yes." Hardy said. _Like you didn't google me before you walked up here,_ he thought.

"That must have been tough. No wonder Dominic said you had experience."

"Right." Hardy said, sipping his tea.

"So, um, are you married?"

"Not anymore." Hardy said bluntly, "You?"

"Fifteen years." she said cheerfully, "Our son is nine."

He nodded, looking forward to the conversation ending. Jeanine (or was it Jennifer?) talked on for a few more minutes before he went back to his desk. Later that afternoon there was a meeting with the CS Dominic and the DS's. They informed him on the various cases they'd been working on.

When he walked out the meeting, he saw two PC's whispering to each other.

"Yeah, Clive said he's that guy from Broadchurch."

"Is he married?"

"Divorced, apparently. Clive's excited."

Hardy shook his head. Why was everyone so concerned about if he was married or not?

The first week passed quickly. Hardy felt with all the classic cases he missed so much. His favourite DS, George, invited him to a late lunch with "a few of the boys.". Hardy would have said no, but he could hear Daisy echoing voice reminding him to be nice, so Hardy said yes.

To Hardy's colossal disappointment, "the boys" took him to the local fish and chips hut.

"Best fish in all of Britain, Hardy. You'll taste."

"Yeah. Alice catches them fresh!" George enthused on.

"Can't wait." Hardy said, although he could practically hear Miller tearing him about how much he _loves_ fish and chips.

Once Hardy dodged a few seagulls, he sat down at the table, pecking at the food.

"So Hardy, are you married?"

"I used to be." he said, "We divorced about three years ago."

The policemen around the table looked at each other. Clive was grinning the most of them all.

"So, who was the unfortunate bloke?"

Hardy nearly choked on a fish bone. " 'cuse me?"

"I said," George took a deep breathe, "Who's the unfortunate _guy_ you ended it with?"

Hardy's brows contracted, "I think you're-"

"Well I hope you give _fabulous_ Clive here a shot."

"Yeah, Clivey's been single for years. There aren't many gays in the West Country, you know."

Clive, who was sitting across from Hardy, winked and smiled.

Now the Scotsman was really choking on that fish bone.

"You okay there mate?"

"What?" he exhaled.

Hardy started coughing and George and Darren hit him on the back.

"Clive's not that bad looking, is he, mate?"

Some of the other snickered.

"Christ." Hardy breathed, "You got it -" he took a gulp of air, "-wrong. I was married to a woman for seventeen years."

"Really?" one of the officers asked in surprise.

"Noooo." another said.

"I can tell a gay man when I see one." Clive insisted, eyes rolling up and down Hardy's figure. "I see one."

"What are you shitting about, Clive."

"He's obviously gay. Look at his hair, long, but not too long and the beard… It's obvious that he used product."

Hardy was very thankful he had a beard, because he didn't want 'the boys' seeing him blush. "I have a daughter. I'm not homosexual."

"So, I have a daughter too." Clive persisted. "In fact I have two."

"No, I ur don't mean it like that. I mean, no offence, ur -Clive. I'm - I'm just not gay."

The men started laughing, but George, upon noticing Hardy's pale exterior, revoked their comments: "You really aren't gay, are you?"

"I'm not." Hardy assured them. "Really not."

"Well then, that was one misunderstanding, wasn't it." George laughed.

"Well, bollocks." Clive said, joining in with the laughter.

"Where on earth did you hear I was gay?"

"Jeanine said she heard from someone working in Broadchurch. Obviously they got that wrong! We have to orderer some beer for this!"

x

Ellie stood in front of the mirror, examining herself carefully. She was wearing the same dress she wore that night she and Claire went out and she had the one night stand. Although she cringed when she thought of that night, the dress was still one of her favourites, and it didn't march up to her feeling about that night with Claire. Everything from her manipulative lies, to the miserable sex and her breath smelling like alcohol the new morning. At least she still liked the dress, and the black coat.

Ellie had gone through a lot of effort. Her hair was neatly straightened and tied back in what could be the world's most pathetic excuse for a ponytail, but Ellie liked having not curls. It made her feel, new. Different. She wondered what Josh would think.

Ten minutes beforeJosh was going to fetch her, she picked up the phone to a distressing sounding Hardy.

"Did you tell Exmouth that I'm gay?" Hardy barked.

"What?"

"It would have been nice to be prepared to know that half the reason I were hired was because I use, quote, 'product in my beard'!"

"Don't get you pants in a knot, Hardy. I never said anything like that-"

"Then why was that Cox bloke hitting on me? You were the only person I told I was moving to Exmouth. And the one DS said she heard I was gay from the Broadchurch Police Station!"

"Hardy-!"

"I'm the laughing stock of the station, Milller. How do you explain that? How would they have known-"

Ellie took a breathe, "I told you Clive was gay, and he had a thing for Scottish men."

"No you didn't!"

"Last week, Hardy. When you told me about the promotion. Were you not listening?"

"You did not say anything about Cox. It would have been great to- I was the laughing stock of the whole station! Miller I would have-"

"You know what? I don't have to do this. Do you have to be such a _dick_ about this? I didn't do anything, Hardy."

" _Millah_!"

Ellie hit the red button. She was not going to listen bickering like that.

"Bloody immature." she hissed to that floor.

"Are you okay, mum?"

"Fine." she said, "Just arguing with Hardy, that's all."

"About what?" Tom said, wondering what Hardy must have done to get his mother to say 'dick'.

"It's nothing. He's just being Hardy."

"When is Josh coming?" Tom asked, and the doorbell rang.

"Well, okay, then." Tom said, and opened the door.

"You must be Tom. Pleased to meet you." Josh said.

"Hullo."

"I'm Joshua. Now I hope I can take your mum out tonight. Will you allow me? You are the man of the house, after all."

Tom blinked, "I'm cool with it."

"Fantastic! Where's Ellie-"

"Hi." she said, grabbing her coat.

"Well, hello." he said, "Looking dashing, I see. Let's go, ladies - or lady - first." He grinned.

"Thank you."

"Only a pleasure." Josh said, putting a hovering hand on Ellie's back and winking at Tom.

x


End file.
